Pets of Pinkbike - Pond Beaver 2021
We don't get to see the animals we usually see at trade shows this year -- like Hank -- so here are the Pets of Pond Beaver.
Name: Maya
Type: Australian Shepherd x Border Collie
Age: 1.5 years
Human: Jason Lucas, Video Production Manager
We picked up Maya from a farm in Williams Lake, BC, last January right before the world flipped upside down. Honestly, she was a huge handful in her early months but since then has turned into quite the rad companion. Her favourite activities include riding, hiking, swimming, chasing birds, and being a constant source of entertainment.
Name: Cruz
Type: Golden Retriever / Border Collie
Age:1.5 years
Human: Max Barron, Videographer
He loves to go on hikes, lick kids' faces, eat all the food, and people watch from our condo. But his favourite thing to do is play fetch with his orange ball.
Name: Mirabel or Mira
Type: Maremma / Klee Kai / Catahoula
Age: 15 months
Human: Daniel Sapp, Technical Editor
Mirabel (Mira) Sapp is a 15 month old Maremma/Klee Kai/Catahoula mix. She’s a solid 90 lbs of puppy that loves being in the woods, spending time with her friends, and has recently started getting out on some mountain bike rides and is a natural at navigating technical terrain. Mira lives in Pisgah Forest, NC with her mom and dad.
Name: Pana
Type: Vizsla
Age: 6 years
Human: Melanie Jansen, Sales Operations Coordinator
She is now 6 years old and got a bit more grey around her snout. Like many others during Covid she tried picking up some weird new hobbies like playing tennis, but realized she much prefers being a trail dog chasing after bikes
Name: Keoke
Type: Three-toed box turtle
Age: 25
Human: Mike Kazimer, Managing Technical Editor
Keoke technically belongs to my partner Angi, but I spend lots of time with him since he resides in my home office. She got him from a pet store back in 1996 and he's been chilling and eating worms (his all-time favorite food) ever since. He also enjoys bananas, strawberries, and raspberries.
Name: Eddy
Age: 1.7
Human: Alan Crisp, Head of Sales
Weight: An S-works Epic with a full bottle
Suited terrain: Light XC / Gravel
Reach: Short
Stack: Smol
Weight bias: Front
Pros: Acceleration
Cons: Reliability
Pinkbike's Take: "Eddy had the quickest loop time, 1.4% up on the Pug SE1 and 5.5% ahead of the English Bulldog115. Eddy placed third on the descent, 1.41% behind the dog with longer legs."
Name: Spud
Type: Huntaway
Age: 5 years
Human: Henry Quinney, Technical Editor
This is Spud. He's a huntaway and he lives on my parent's farm. He's the Livestock and Security Supervisor but he wouldn't hurt a fly really. In fact, one of the farm buildings got broken into last year and he basically just cuddled with the burglar for a few minutes. A great sheepdog, a useless guard dog but utterly lovable all the same.
Editorial note: I would also break into a farm building to cuddle with Spud. -AL
Name: Sitka (ginger) and Ashlu (tortie)
Type: Presumably domestic short-hairs, adopted from WAG in Whistler
Age: 2.5 year old sister-cats
Human: Christie Gibbs, Finance
These gals were at Pond Beaver last year, but have since gained a collective 0.9kg between them, seem to have an endless supply of zoomies, and enjoy watching nature videos for cats on YouTube. They also really enjoy pouncing on their humans at 5am demanding food and attention. Cardboard boxes have since replaced their fuzzy ball as their favourite item in the world.
Peyton and Rory
Name: Peyton Manning
Type: Possibly Border Collie / Shepard X
Age: Maybe 11+ years
Human: Paula Moran, Operations
Rescued from Alberta, Canada started life living outside with no home. Now enjoys spending his days mountain biking with his humans, chasing squirrels, lounging at home, and ignoring little bro. Loves that his mum currently works from home.
Name: Rory McIlroy
Type: Heinz 57???
Age: Best guess is 7+ years
Human: Paula Moran, Operations
Rescued little dude, found roaming streets in California. Now spends days modelling cozy knit sweaters, following big bro everywhere and struts around with his natural mohawk like he owns the place. Requires regular solar charging to act as home and office alert system. If no sun, a fireplace will do. Despite tiny size is also a trail dog - sometimes gets a ride in a backpack.
Name: Petrusca
Human: Seb Stott, Technical Editor
This is our cat, Pietruszka. The name means parsley in Polish - she used to belong to a Polish lady who, presumably, liked parsley. She enjoys meowing, walking across my face at night, biting my hand while I stroke her and hiding decapitated rodents around the house (the cat, not the Polish lady). She's very cute though. Sometimes she even joins us for a walk in the woods.
Name: Zola
Type: Jack Russell Terrier / Pug
Age:5 years
Human: Ed Spratt, News Editor
We rescued Zola from an amazing dog charity a couple of years ago after a pretty tough life going through two owners in less than three years. The first few months were pretty hectic as she had a ton of issues to work through. But now Zola loves to head out into the woods, although this is only when she isn’t spending most of the day fast asleep.
Name: Misiu
Type: Border Collie x Lab
Age: 4 months
Human: Radek Burkat, OG
Misiu likes steak, long walks, and internet cables.
Names: Super Puff, Blue, Rex, and Foxy
Type: Western fence and spiny granite lizards
Human: RC, legend
From left to right: Super Puff, female Western Fence Lizard; Blue, male Western Fence; Rex Male Spiny Granite lizard; and Roxy, female Spiny Granite. I've befriended these reptiles to the point where they line up at my kitchen door for treats (meal worms). I feed them by hand. It's rare, but sometimes I can feel their tiny teeth when one of them gets a little too excited. It's been three years now. They hibernate during the winter, and you never know when they'll show up on the doorstep when spring arrives.
Name: X Æ A-12
Type: Human child
Age: 1 year
Human: Brian Park, Head of Editorial
Super adorable, loves playing with sticks, occasionally pees on the rug.
Mike Levy & Sarah Lukas’s Odd Paw Squad
Name: Habernasch
Type: Bulldog
Age:7 years
Human: Mike Levy, Technical Editor, and Sarah Lukas, formerly PR & Communications
Grumpy. Legs don't work. Loves to skid through the inside line.
Name: Meeshka
Type: Husky / Shepherd
Age:7 years
Human: Mike Levy, Technical Editor, and Sarah Lukas, formerly PR & Communications
Has two eyes. All legs work. Loves Tim Bits. Loves Mike Levy. Loves Car Rides.
Name: Sherpa
Type: Shiba Inu
Age:Ancient
Human: Mike Levy, Technical Editor, and Sarah Lukas, formerly PR & Communications
Blind. Deaf. One-eyed pirate dog. Has razor-sharp teeth, but gives nose kisses if you're lucky.
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When I was eight, my buddy and I were riding our banana seat bikes next door at the post office, and this black lab comes and follows us around, out of nowhere. We lived in rural Michigan.
He refused to leave us, and my dad got to looking at him, and he’d been shot my someone, in the hind quarter, by a .22 rifle. He patiently sat there and let him remove the bullet, and after that he became a fixture, we named him Duke. Then a potato farmer from miles down the road showed up to claim him, his name was Spud.
He took him back, and I was heartbroken- but he kept escaping to come back to us, so the potato farmer gave up and let us keep him. He lived out the rest of his years with us, and I’ve been enamored with black labs ever since.
Thanks for showing us your pets, Pinkbike, where would we be without them?
We decided to go Goldfish, then Hamster, then Dog...... the idea was we would ease ourselves into increasing levels of responsibility.
It seemed to work, and I personally thought there was a correlation between the effort you have to put in, and the love you get back when it came to pets, Dogs are a big (but well worth it) responsibility IMHO.
Then a stray kitten decided to come live with us after my teenage daughter rescued it after it appeared in our garden looking lost and forlorn....
.....and now I love dogs even more.
If you don't have much time to give to a pet, and are happy to not have to train anything, a cat works well. Just give it a place to defecate and food available, and it will live where you are, occasionally getting cute (usually because it wants something),. otherwise it just tolerates others in its space. It's the easy option IMO.
Oh, but unless you wish to rip its claws out at the vets and leave it unable to defend itself in a fight, it will possibly destroy your house and its contents, and you won't be able to train it to stop.
If you are willing though to learn how to live with a dog as part of a pack, and teach yourself how to be the pack leader (which is what I think your question hints at), then dogs are ...just.....the....best.
They will love you unconditionally if you play the pack leader role well. But yes, you do have to learn how to do that to make life great for you, your family and most importantly, the dog.
Learning how to do that (do a course?? find a friend who can help?), is possibly even a far better use of one's day that sitting on PB. Gives life much more meaning possibly too, having that responsibility.
Oh, but if you don't, the dog too may destroy your house and its contents, only on a much larger scale.
I'd say go on, take the plunge and as long as you are keen on learning how to make your family and your pets days wonderful, it'll be the best decision you ever make.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/20454763
www.pinkbike.com/photo/20454765
I’ve never had a cat tear anything up but it can happen if the owner isn’t able to train, so same as a dog. I appreciate their ability to be independent. I can leave for 4 days knowing if he has food and water he’ll be just fine.
Neutered male cats seem most chill and also less likely to spray/mark territory, maybe that’s one of the reasons I’ve had such good luck.
Depending on your level of commitment:
For dogs, think of it as having a toddler that can be left alone at home for a few hours and then scale it back to Gold Fish level care.
....also, cats can turn into a multi-generational pet. So think about your future as well when the kids eventually head off into the adult world.
Our best luck has been with classic (dark grey) and orange tabbys. We live near fields and always have outdoor cats coming and going, but those have been our most personable cats and live inside with us. Just buy those thick packaging tape-like furniture protectors for the outlying corners of your chairs and couches and you're pretty much set.
Or, find a clone of my Shiba Inu, german shepherd mix that looks like a small white husky if you want the ultimate in companionship and temperment. He'll be your cat's best friend too if you decide to upgrade later on.
Im the earliest riser in the house
I appreciate you making sure he’s ready for the steeps. Gotta keep that head angle right!
So many cute pets!
Thanks for sharing!
RIP little bro, you looked cool as. My tripod kitty, he sends his 3 legged condolences.